ASIA FACES THREATS FROM IS, CYBERATTACKS

SINGAPORE— Southeast Asia faces “very real” threats from the Islamic State (IS) group despite their defeat in the Middle East, as well as cyberattacks, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned on Saturday as he opened a regional summit.

Parts of the 10-country region, encompassing about 650 million people, have long struggled with Islamic militancy and the emergence of IS has served as a new rallying point for radicals and reenergized extremist groups.

A deadly gun and suicidebombing attack in Indonesian capital, Jakarta, in 2016 was the first IS-claimed assault in the region, while the Philippine city of Marawi was overrun last year by fighters loyal to the jihadists, triggering a monthslong battle that killed hundreds.

Threats very real

Fears are also growing that Southeast Asia, which is home to booming economies where a growing number of people are adopting digital technology in their everyday lives, could be increasingly targeted by cyberattackers.

Opening the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Singapore, Lee warned that IS continues to threaten the region despite their military defeat in Iraq and Syria, while the move toward digitalization has made countries more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

“Southeast Asia is at peace, but these threats are very real,” he said.

“We need to be resilient to both conventional threats, and also nonconventional threats such as terrorism and cyberattacks.”

The leaders at a working dinner on Friday ahead of their formal summit agreed to increase coordination in cybersecurity.—